Using duality: the textures of distraction and of awareness

This is the fifth instruction and meditation in the Intermediate level of training for this round. The focus of this round is to learn to use duality.

We live in duality; or at least our minds, senses, perceptions, and society tell us that we do. Physics reports that life is multi-dimensional, and meditators of the world and world’s practices have been teaching of the multi-dimensional quality of reality for a long time.

Yet the only way to access freedom from dualistic programming is to engage it. This is similar to the desire to transform a habit or psychological state or trauma. Ignoring it changes nothing. Repeating the same behavior and desiring or expecting different results doesn’t work either (isn’t that a definition for insanity?!) Therefore, we are left with the obvious: in order to change something one has to engage it and then engage change.

Both Patanjali and Buddha Shakyamuni taught a system of antidotes to non-spiritual living and its mindlessness. In other words, they engaged the negative or limiting tendency and determined how to change it into a positive or expanding one. To do so they used duality. Yogis and Buddhist meditators have then fully used this paradigm in the practice of meditation. Lo and behold – what did they find? They found twos that must be recognized. They then can be used in order to mature a meditation practice. These are the textures referenced in today’s meditation.

Meditation is the ultimate relation. True meditation at-ones with reality as it is. This, in turn, produces right relations within the practitioner which is why meditators develop increased calm, care, and creative expression that helps others.